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A drive to register voters via text messages.

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August 24, 2006 12:09AM (UTC)

Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign sent out an e-mail last week boasting that it was on the "cutting edge of technology." Proof? The campaign would be sending out updates on the California GOP convention via text messages. "'SMS' or text messages are short messages that come straight to your cell phone," the campaign explained to would-be Republican techno-hipsters. "This weekend they will give you the inside scoop on what is happening, where it is happening and where you need to be to join the action as it happens."

Which is all well and good until somebody does you one better. A group called Voto Latino announced today that it is launching the first nationwide effort to register voters by text messaging. The drive is focused on registering young Latinos for the November elections. The logic, according to Voto Latino co-founder Rosario Dawson: If 65 million people were willing to text their votes for "American Idol," perhaps at least a few of them might pick up their phones to sign up for something a little more important.

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Tim Grieve

Tim Grieve is a senior writer and the author of Salon's War Room blog.